This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods related to the programming of numerically path controlled processing devices, and particularly to the programming of such devices of the type which include means for displaying dialog texts on associated display units.
It is known to the art to provide programmable, numerically path controlled processing devices of the type which include a programmable controller; a display unit coupled to the controller; means, included in the controller, for displaying on the display unit a set of dialog texts suitable for path programming; and a keyboard input unit comprising input key means for the entry of digital programming data to program the controller. In such numerically path controlled processing devices, the content of the control program is much more complex than is the control program for simpler, numerical interval controls. For this reason, the dialog texts used in conjunction with numerically path controlled processing devices generally take on a much greater scope and have a much greater length than do dialog texts suitable only for axially parallel interval programming. Thus, the time expenditure needed either to set up a program or to modify a program is correspondingly high for numerically path controlled processing devices, as contrasted with interval controlled processing devices, even when these devices are used in a purely interval programming mode.